Eliminating gluten from your diet can have enormous health benefits. Not only is this helpful for those with celiac disease, but it also can help relieve other digestion-related health issues.
Gluten is a protein byproduct found in grains such as wheat and is used as an emulsifier and anticoagulant. Gluten often hides in products you'd never suspect, so eliminating gluten might seem like a daunting task at first but actually is easy once you become educated about gluten and how to avoid it. Here are some helpful tips to get started.
Things You'll Need
- Grocery lists Boxes for use when cleaning out your pantry Time spent browsing grocery store shelves
Tips For You
- Do some research. Begin to browse the Internet on gluten-free diet sites. Familiarize yourself with the names that gluten might "hide" under, such as "modified food starch" and others.Gluten is found in many obvious products--breads, pastries and other wheat-based food--and in some others--things such as hot dogs and certain brands of iodized salt. Many grains, such as oats, barley and rye, also contain gluten.
- Make lists. Once you familiarize yourself with what products are "safe" and what aren't, make a list of things you can eat that are gluten-free. When in doubt, don't eat it until you find out for sure. Call the manufacturer and ask. As more people are maintaining a gluten-free diet, many companies have this information ready.
- Clean out your pantry. Get rid of anything that you have in your house that contains gluten. Box it up and donate it to a local food pantry. Switching to a gluten-free lifestyle can be difficult at first, so the less temptations you have on hand, the better off you'll be.
- Enlist the support of friends and family. The support of people close to you is valuable when beginning a lifestyle change of any kind, particularly a dietary one. Tell all your friends and family that you are gluten-free. If they invite you over for dinner and don't know what to cook, offer to bring your own food until you can educate them.
- Read labels. Take some time (without shopping) to simply look at products on your grocery store shelves. Read the fine print and the labels. See where you can find hidden sources of gluten. Make a mental note of such products, or write them down in a list of foods to avoid.
- Be easy on yourself. Many people experience withdrawal-like symptoms after eliminating gluten. Most of these symptoms are mild. Some people report feeling "flu-ish," while others go through emotional changes. This is normal and is the body's way of processing the internal changes it is going through. This discomfort usually lasts less than a week.
